Mrs. Porter’s Chicken Coop

Historical photos show the Porter daughters playing with the family chickens, and you can be sure that the eggs from those chickens were used by the housekeeper, Edna. History has repeated itself; the Gardens once again has chickens!

“Mrs. Porter’s Chicken Coop” (named after founder, Bernice Porter) is located near the composting area in the back of the Gardens and is home to a small flock of 4-5 chickens. Continuing the Gardens commitment to responsible practices and education, the chicken program will exemplify sustainability. The eggs from the chickens will be used in the Café, garden trimmings and other suitable scraps will be fed to the flock and the chicken waste, which is very high in nitrates, will be used to fertilize the Gardens. The majority of the materials used in the construction of the coop were donated; recycled or re-purposed materials and the chickens themselves are courtesy of Jeff Spangler from Dharmish Farms in Marana.